City named as Michigan Main Street Associate

Great News for Rogers City! The State of Michigan has named Rogers City as an Associate Member of the Michigan Main Street Program. This designation is in recognition of the efforts the City and the Community Development Authority (CDA) to implement the Main Street program. The primary benefit to being named a Michigan Main Street Associate is that the City and CDA will receive free training on how to improve the downtown. The press release below is the official announcement.
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N E W S R E L E A S E

Contact: Mary Lou Keenon
Communications

Telephone: 517/373-0011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 17, 2008

MSHDA Announces Michigan Main Street Associate Level Communities

LANSING – Keith Molin, interim executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) announced today that 17 Michigan communities have been selected by MSHDA to take part in the Michigan Main Street Associate Level program. The 17 selected communities will receive training over the next one to two years in the basics of Main Street, including training in organization and promotion, economic restructuring and design and quarterly Michigan Main Street training.

“Michigan’s economy cannot thrive without thriving downtowns.” Molin said. “This program is creating opportunities for new development and economic growth in downtowns across our state.”

The Michigan Main Street Associate program is part of Governor Granholm’s Cool Cities Initiative to create vibrant communities in Michigan. These efforts are based on numerous recent studies showing that investing in our downtowns creates vibrant centers, making our state economically stronger. The 17 communities to receive the Michigan Main Street Associate Level designation are:

· Belding

· Blissfield

· Brighton

· Davison

· East Jordan

· Eaton Rapids

· Escanaba

· Grand Rapids “Uptown”

· Lansing Principal Shopping District

· Manistique

· Mt. Pleasant

· Owosso

· Owosso West Town

· Plainwell

· Rogers City

· Ypsilanti

· Zeeland



Communities wishing to become a Michigan Main Street Community or request information regarding the Michigan Main Street Associate program are asked to contact Laura Krizov at MSHDA at (517) 241-4237.

MSHDA is a quasi-state agency that provides financial and technical assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve safe and decent affordable housing, engage in community economic development activities, and address homeless issues. MSHDA’s loans and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. For more information on MSHDA programs and initiatives, visit the Web site at www.michigan.gov/mshda.